"Sons of soil is a kind of regionalism that views a state as specifically belonging to the main linguistic group inhabiting it. All others who are settled there and whose mother tongue is not the states main language, are declared to be „outsiders.
It gives rise to various issues:

• Pressure on government to meet their demands as political mobilization against migrants is the easiest when there is a concentration of migrants from one region or of one ethnicity. For e.g. anti- North Indian campaign in Mumbai amidst increasing migration from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to Mumbai.
• Discrimination: Under political pressure, many states reserve jobs, or give preference to local residents for employment in state and local governments and for admission into educational institutions.
• Violence: Nativist political parties leverage the „sons of the soil sentiment for gaining political power. The „sons of the soil movements in Assam and Telangana assumed serious proportions leading to violence.

Such demands are generally raised where there is actual or potential resource competition such as for industrial and middle-class jobs, between the migrants and the local, educated, middle-class youth. In the struggle for the appropriation of economic resources and economic opportunities-education, employment etc., recourse is often taken to language loyalty and regionalism. The problem is compounded in cities or regions where the speakers of the state language are in a minority or have a bare majority. For ex- Bombay, Bangalore, etc.

However, such demands are being raised in some states, cities and not in others as it depends on various factors such as:

• Proportion of migrants: Once the population share of migrants exceeds a tipping point, nativist political mobilization is no longer electorally feasible. For e.g. in Delhi, first-generation migrants comprise almost 40% of the citys population and there is no political opposition to them.
• Strength of national party: Degree of success of nativist parties is a function of the strength of national parties at the state and local levels. If national party is weak, the native political parties become more assertive.
• Ideological commitments: Political parties such as the Communist Party refused to use anti-migrant sentiments in Calcutta because of its ideological commitment, therefore, the city has not witnessed any major „sons of the soil movement
• Mutually exclusive interests: Outsiders in rural areas often work as agricultural labourers or as workers in low-paid traditional industries that locals do not compete for therefore, less hostility towards „outsiders. For e.g. large-scale migration of labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to Punjab and Haryana has not created any conflict.

The problem posed by the „sons of the soil doctrine is still a somewhat minor one as only a few cities and states are affected by it in a virulent form. At no stage, it threatened the unity of the country and its effects on the Indian economy have been negligible. It did not stop the migration within the country and in fact, interstate mobility is growing.